Texas Cooking Under Six Flags

Texas Cooking Under Six Flags

In Blake Alexander’s collection I recently came across this cookbook, titled Texas Cooking Under Six Flags.  It was written by members of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Blake’s hometown, Paris, Texas.  These kinds of cookbooks were common during that time as a way for members of a community – in this instance a church – to share their favorite recipes.  We can see here that they also shared their personalities.  I’ve included some of my favorite images from the cookbook.  The illustrations all seem to have been done by Lorene Rutherford, likely a congregant of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church.  I hope you’ll enjoy looking at these as much as I did!

Visual Transpositions: A Photographic Dialog Between Austin Past and Present

The Visual Resources Collection (VRC), part of the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin, recently opened their new exhibit “Visual Transpositions: A Photographic Dialog Between Austin Past and Present.”  The exhibit contains images that explore Austin’s Congress Avenue.  Images taken by current VRC staff are exhibited beside images from the 1950’s and 1960’s.  The mid-century images were done by Blake Alexander and Marian Davis, School of Architecture and Fine Arts faculty, respectively.  In a striking reversal of expectations, the modern images are black and white while the older images are in color.  The images are not meant to be a direct comparison of then-and-now, but rather they explore the feeling of Congress Avenue then, and “its environs as they stand today.”

Congress Avenue, Austin, TX. June Jung, 2013.

The VRC is located in Sutton Hall Room 3.128, and contains a variety of collections and equipment available to School of Architecture students.  The exhibit can be seen through August 16th, 2013, between the hours of 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday.  For more information, visit the VRC’s exhibits page.

Mary Margaret Farabee

We learned this morning of the death of Austin benefactor Mary Margaret Farabee.  Mrs. Farabee was active in many philanthropic, cultural, and educational initiatives throughout her life.  She had a particular impact on the Austin historic preservation community and worked on the preservation of a number of significant structures.  She collaborated with Blake Alexander through the years, and she was also involved in the establishment of the Charles Moore House.  All those who knew her will miss her, and she will be remembered as a champion of arts, architecture, and history in Austin.  For more information about her life and work, visit the Austin American Statesman.

Mary Margaret Farabee, by Ray Barrera. Courtesy of the Austin American Statesman. http://www.statesman.com/photo/news/local/mary-margaret-farabee/ppchC/